It’s easy to reduce using it in the first place by swapping to using lids on tubs or bowls instead etc and reusable wrapping materials – and it’s widely recycled too — most kerbside/community bins for tin cans accept foil too. But what about reuses for it?

I know a lot of people reuse clean bits of foil as new. Do you do that? If not, do you have other reuses for nearly-new foil?

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13 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle aluminium foil/tin foil/silver foil?”

I use aluminium foil from packaging, like coffee, chips, some soups, etc for many crafting things for my daugthers. They very much like the silver shining. I cut yarn from it, to crochet a silver belt or to plait a hair ribbon. And at the moment, I cut the silver foil into pieces of 1 inch by 2.5 inches and fold them like the gum wrappers into a nice silver basket.
I ask everyone to save their coffee packages for me, since our eco coffee don’t use this kind of packaging. :-)

I too use this kind of foil, the more plasticised foil from coffee bags, crisp/chip packets, chocolate but I too am at a loss as to how to use what used to be called tin foil and I presume this is where the problem lies that perhaps it used to be tin rather than aluminium. This may be why it is not widely collected any more.

I have contemplated melting it down myself but have concerns about any gasses that would be released.

I have bags and bags of it….and it is useless in my work because it can cope with being manipulated without tearing.

Place a piece of silver foil on the bottom of a plastic container. Pour boiling water on the foil and add 1/2 a cup of bicarbonate of soda. Put the silverware into the container (ensuring that it makes contact with the foil) and stand back and watch the silverware come clean in 5 – 10 minutes. Wash with warm, soapy water and dry with a soft cloth

I use foil when I’m grilling steaks. Of course, you have to let the steaks sit after grilling so I use foil to cover it. I then use the foil to grill food like delicate fish or vegetables. I’d like to believe that it adds flavor to it.

After reading your post Pat I either make all pieces of aluminium foil into a ball and put it with my other recyclables or place it in an aluminium can and flatten the can down. Even foil from tablet blisters can be added to the can too.